


Deception

by slytherinserpentine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Angst, Dark Draco Malfoy, Dark Hermione Granger, Dark Magic, Death Eaters, Deception, Enemies to Lovers, Evil, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hate to Love, Love, Love/Hate, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Tragedy, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:35:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29316441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherinserpentine/pseuds/slytherinserpentine
Summary: [DRAMIONE SLOWBURN]Voldemort has won, conquering the wizarding world. Hermione Granger has survived. A Death Eater during the final battle, a double agent for the Order of the Phoenix, and now alone on the wrong side of the war.She has nothing left, all those who loved her gone, and Hermione has never felt more lost in the world of the Dark Lord. But somewhere in the darkness, love begins to grow once more. It just comes from the strangest of places and people.DRAMIONE SLOWBURN & ENEMIES TO LOVERS
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bulstrode/Daphne Greengrass, Theodore Nott/Pansy Parkinson
Kudos: 13





	1. Prologue

HERMIONE

i knew when we met  
that it would be a beautiful nightmare  
we would love  
but hate  
and the stars were set on  
keeping us apart  
you cannot defy the stars my love  
they too knew what would happen  
yet they still allowed  
our beautiful disaster to commence  
i am only sorry that we ran out of time  
that the hatred lasted longer than the love  
before one of us slipped away  
you were my favourite liar  
masked with hate  
but filled with adoration  
the stars made us end in chaos  
but one thing had never been so clear  
i had always loved you

(original poem)

DRACO

the monsters were never  
under my bed.  
because the monsters  
were inside my head.

i fear no monsters,  
for no monsters i see.  
because all this time,  
the monster has been me.

(by nikita gill)


	2. Rubble

"Harry Potter is dead. From now on, you put your faith in me." 

Hermione had desperately hoped Voldemort's words were wrong, and that Harry would jump up and attack him, but he remained still. Time passed, with Ginny Weasley screaming as the Dark Lord announced the death of her lover, and Neville Longbottom standing up to Voldemort, eventually being hurt and humiliated for the entertainment of the Death Eaters.

Harry still did not move. He remained lifeless in Hagrid's arms, as the half-giant's tears splashed onto his face. As time passed, the small ember of hope inside Hermione Granger dimmed to nothing, until she stood next to Antonin Dolohov and Narcissa Malfoy in a state of complete numbness, not being able to properly process what was about to happen, until the moment arrived.

Voldemort threw the killing curse at Ronald Weasley. And after he fell, the screams from Molly Weasley were deafening, until Bellatrix Lestrange stopped them permanently. One by one, those opposite Hermione began to fall, either at the hands of Voldemort or Bellatrix - there was no need for others to kill them, the Dark Lord preferred the slow and painful torture of watching people beg to die as they watched their loved ones fall to the ground around them, as they remained alive. Hermione watched as younger Hogwarts students tried to flee, and saw Neville Longbottom slip away, but not before Yaxley followed him in pursuit. 

Hermione knew there was no point in trying, not even when Ginny Weasley tried running towards her, begging her for mercy and to save her. Hermione didn't know how Ginny knew it was her underneath the black and silver ornate mask, but she did. Ginny's begging was soon ended by the Dark Lord himself, a cruel smile etched upon his face as he performed the curse again, and again.

She knew they would not win that day, so she had to survive. Harry would've told her she was a coward, allowing her friends to die, but she knew things they didn't, and she could end everything while they couldn't. The sorting hat would've called it self preservation, and had thought about placing her in Slytherin seven years ago, for her loyalty, ambition and self preservation. The very same sorting hat was now near her left foot, burning to a crisp.

"Granger." A soft voice came from her right, and Hermione turned to meet the pale grey eyes of Narcissa Malfoy, who also hid behind her mask. "We must find the others and dispose of them, do not hesitate or show any weakness." She said to the brown haired girl, before turning and following others into the crumbling castle. Hermione soon joined them, attacking - but not killing - any students she happened to see. It took a few hours until Voldemort announced his new victory, and Hermione just sat down in the rubble, letting the guilt, rage and pain take over, and let her stay in that same spot in the courtyard for what felt like eternity.

IT HAD BEEN TWENTY FOUR HOURS SINCE THE BATTLE HAD FINISHED.  
Amongst the rubble in the courtyard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a girl sat. Her brown hair splattered crimson, and dust settles on her torn and tattered clothes. If someone had walked past, they would've thought she was dead.

But Hermione Granger was not dead, no matter how much she wished she was in that moment.

She could still feel the burning sensation that hadn't left her forearm since Voldemort successfully killed Harry Potter and won the war, and declared his eternal rule over the wizarding world. But the pain from her dark mark was nothing compared to the pain from her heart after what she had seen in the now ruined Great Hall.

Her friends. Her family. Everyone, dead.

Hermione could still remember seeing Ron's eyes wide in fear, and it haunted her so much that she had rushed to close his eyes, not bearing to see him look at her like that. Looking at her with nothing left. Completely lifeless, and his eyes glassy. She couldn't stand to see it, but it still haunted her thoughts.

The Great Hall was filled with the bodies of her loved ones. There was not a single ally left. The Deatheaters made sure no one got away. Not even Neville Longbottom survived, he had attempted to hide his grandmother in a muggle village, but was caught, and both brought back to Hogwarts to be slowly and brutally tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange, in front of all those who had pledged their allegiance to the Dark Lord.

"Stop moping around Granger, and get up." A voice said behind her, and the brunette turned her head to see the one tolerable person left - Blaise Zabini. "I can't believe it's over." She whispered, her voice breaking as a tear escaped from her eyes, rolling down her face, slowly mixing with the blood and dirt. Blaise rolled his eyes, before walking towards her, slowly putting his arm around her shoulder, and pulling her up. "You need to stop being so weak Granger. It's never going to be the same now, and the Dark Lord's plans have just began, so let's get you to the manor to clean up, before someone far less friendly does." Blaise said, before walking her over to the disapperation point. In the day that had past, Voldemort had been able to break a few of Hogwarts' spells, allowing disapperation points to be made across the grounds, allowing death eaters to come and go as they pleased - something Hermione had not done yet, instead opting to sit in the rubble and let the guilt take over. As soon as Blaise stopped walking, Hermione felt the uneasy feeling in her stomach as she kept her eyes shut, and could tell they were disapperating.

"God I hate that." Blaise muttered, as Hermione opened her eyes once more, now in front of the large gates that guarded Malfoy Manor. She tried to take a few steps forwards, but her legs were still shaking from the uncomfortable journey, so Blaise once again had to support her. "You'd never think you'd been a strong and independent Gryffindor by the state you're in." He chuckled, but Hermione remained silent until they reached the front doors of the Manor. She took a deep breath, before walking inside, following behind Blaise. The house hadn't changed since she'd last been there a month ago, still having the same darkness and fear.

"Zabini!" A familiar voice rang out, coming from the drawing room. Hermione's breathing hitched, but she couldn't tell why. The voice was coming from the drawing room where she watched Harry and Ron get tortured, Bellatrix carving 'blood traitor' and 'filthy half blood' into their skin, as Hermione was in the room next door, watching through the keyhole of the door as her two friends screamed in pain. But the voice was what had really made her stop. It was his voice. Draco Malfoy's. 

Hermione hadn't seen Draco Malfoy since a day prior, and even then she wouldn't really call it even an interaction, only a brief glance at one another as they continued to fight on the side of the Dark Lord. She had been so careful not to cast any unforgivable curses at her opponents, mostly because they were her friends and allies, but also because she couldn't stand the thought of harming someone she loved. And yet they had all died in front of her, all screaming out at her for help, while she remained motionless and numb. And now, the boy who had not even said a 'hello' to her for the past several months, was smirking at her, as if they hadn't just witnessed the death of hundreds the day before.

"Draco." Blaise greeted his old friend, stepping towards the drawing room, not noticing Hermione was rooted to the spot in the hallway. However, Draco did notice. "What's wrong with mudblood?" He asked, and Blaise turned to Hermione, his eyes filled with sympathy, knowing why she didn't want to step into the drawing room. "She's still a little shaken, do you think she could go up to her room?" He asked, and Hermione gave him a smile of thanks. "I honestly don't care, as long as the Dark Lord hasn't forbidden it, Granger can do what she likes. You know where your room is, don't you Granger?" Draco turned to look at Hermione, who had remained frozen, before slowly nodding, and making her way towards the staircase. As she did, the voice of Draco Malfoy could still be heard. "Honestly why is so so pathetic? She's acting like and absolute coward, and I won't blame the Dark Lord if he finishes her off! She's completely useless if she's like that from now on!" He exclaimed, his voice travelling down the corridor and reaching Hermione, where a tear and once again began to fall. She and began to cry because she knew Malfoy was right. Hermione had never felt so broken and useless in her entire life. She had let all of her friends die while she survived, fighting for the wrong side, and now being a place she didn't want to be. As she stumbled towards her room, she didn't notice the two girls at the end of the landing, staring at the brunette as she shoved the door open and slammed it shut. Nor did she notice that those two girls were Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass, and that they too had tear stained faces, silently sobbing in their corner of Malfoy Manor.


	3. Marks

Hermione Granger hadn't left her room in two days.

She lay in her bed, the silk sheets wrapped around her body, stained with fourty eight hours worth of tears, blood and misery. Her hair was back to its old state, bushy and frazzled like it had been before she'd joined the Death Eaters under the orders given to her from Dumbledore days before his death. Hermione's eyes were puffy and red, and she was certain she looked a mess, but she refused to look in the mirror. She'd refused to do anything, continuing to stay in the bed for the past two days, locking the door and casting several spells to stop anyone entering, which frustrated Narcissa the most.

Narcissa Malfoy had grown to care for the girl like she was her own, looking out for her where she could, and became what she could not have from her own mother - support. She had failed to protect Draco from the Dark Lord, he was now a near copy of his father, always angry and arrogant. Narcissa made herself promise she would not let the Dark Lord destroy Hermione Granger as he had with her family. And now, the woman was stood outside the guest room, knocking on the door for the third time that morning, failing to get inside.

  
"Hermione, you have to leave your room." She said softly, but there was no response.

  
Granger was staring at the wall, as she lay on her bed, surrounded by shards of glass she'd tried to use to carve out her dark mark. Of course it hadn't worked, but Hermione enjoyed the pain and suffering she faced as she tried to carve the mark out of her flesh, and the pain that resulted afterwards, courtesy of the Dark Lord's spells to make those who tried to remove their mark suffer extreme pain. But compared to what Hermione had been through, the pain wasn't enough. It didn't satisfy her, she wanted more. So she carved into her arm again and again, until the green silk sheets were stained red, and she had to heal her arm and slowly drift asleep, only to wake up the next morning and repeat her actions until she eventually fell asleep again.

She'd began her routine of self torture two days ago, and now many of the other Death Eaters had grown concerned for one of their best members. They may have fought for the Dark Lord, but the younger followers had been through everything with her, and despite how much they're hated to fight the feeling, concern was present in most of Hermione's old classmates who had now become Death Eaters, following in the footsteps of their parents. Blaise Zabini was the most obviously concerned, however Astoria Greengrass and Theodore Nott had also expressed their fear over the girl's behaviour and no show at breakfast, lunch and dinner. As for Draco Malfoy, he couldn't care less what happened to her. In his eyes, she was now a burden and if she wanted to dispose of her self before someone else did, that was fine by him. He didn't care for Mudblood Granger, it only annoyed him that his friends had began discussing her absence during meal times, he hated that she was having such an effect on the people who were meant to hate her as much as he did. But even Draco could see Blaise's behaviour changing as the days carried on, and she still hadn't left her room. Malfoy was so sick and tired of her weakness, that he'd sent his mother to check up on her, only for Narcissa to inform him she'd already tried three times that same morning.

It took four days for Hermione to finally leave her room, five to eat, and seven to finally start talking again. Narcissa had been so gentle and kind, however Draco Malfoy had simply sneered at her one morning, before returning to Pansy Parkinson and resuming their conversation.

  
"It's good to see you around again Granger."

A voice said from behind her, as she sat at the dinner table for the first time with the other guests at the Manor. Hermione turned around, to see Blaise Zabini stood in the archway, a grin on his face. He looked almost as bad as her, with dark circles around his eyes and his hair was slightly untidy. She saw how he looked at her up and down, his smile faltering for the briefest moment, but she couldn't blame him.

Two days ago, she had finally got the nerve to look in the mirror, and she had nearly screamed when she'd seen her reflection. She also had dark circles, as well as her eyes bloodshot and her cheekbones more sunken into her face, making her seem more like a skeleton than a person. Her hair was frizzy, and her arms where covered in scars, bruises and blood.

The first thing she had done was take a bath, scrubbing the dirt away that had remained on her body since the battle, along with her own blood and those she had killed that day. Hermione had shuddered as she scrubbed the blood away, unable to keep the thought of the young Colin Creevey, staring back at her with his mouth agape and eyes glassy, as a curse ripped his body to shreds and his blood splattered her arm. She hadn't realised she'd began to cry and shake in the bath, until the salty taste of tears had reached her mouth.

Hermione had tried to pull herself together after the flashback, getting out the bath, brushing out her hair and making it return to the sleek curls like before, and dressing in a clean, black dress Narcissa had sent to her room before. But she couldn't stop feeling dirty, and she had began to claw at her skin, trying to pick away and scrub the blood away that had long left her flesh, but it still felt like it was there.

It was only when she'd passed her desk, and an open copy of Macbeth had caught her eye, had she began to laugh. It was the first tike she'd laughed in months, and it was cold and empty, there wasn't a trace of joy in it, more of pity for herself. She looked down at her skin, now covered in new scratches, and realised the irony of how she had began to read Macbeth a few weeks prior to the battle.

She had laughed at the irony of how she had become like Lady Macbeth, both trying to wash away blood that hadn't been there. It had pushed her out of her episode, and helped her make the rash decision to go downstairs for lunch.

She still had the Gryffindor in her after all.

And now she sat, her head turned to face Blaise and return his grin with a weak smile, before turning back to her plate. She had barely touched her food, but everyone knew it was progress. Blaise pulled the chair next to her out, and sat down, immediately looking at her.

  
"Gave us all a fright you know Granger." He said, chuckling slightly.

"Malfoy didn't seem too bothered." Hermione muttered, before eventually taking a bite out of a potato.

"Malfoy is an arse and doesn't give two shits about anyone else but himself." Blaise snorted, and Hermione smiled slightly. He reached under the table, and grabbed her hand, leaning close to whisper in her ear.

"It's going to get better okay? You're safe now, and it's going to be alright." He said, before leaning back, but not letting go of her right hand.

Hermione and Blaise had developed a friendship almost immediately after she had joined the Death Eaters, as they had common interests, but were both extremely alone. While many within the Death Eater's circle had thought they may be together, Blaise and Hermione both had established a strictly platonic relationship, and he had become a sort of support system for her. She needed some stability and reassurance, and Blaise seemed to know exactly when she needed it.

"Can you two stop being so close, it's going to make me sick." Theodore Nott said from across the table, pointing his fork at Blaise and Hermione, before grinning as he saw the frown in Zabini's face, but the small crack of a smile on Hermione's.

  
"I know you're jealous I've stolen your precious friend Nott, but calm down, I'd never be able to deal with his snoring." Hermione replied, making Theodore burst out laughing and Blaise attempt to hold in his own laughter.

  
"There's the Granger we all know and love." Theodore smiled at her, before turning to meet the eyes of a scowling Draco Malfoy.

"Oh stop having a stick up your arse Malfoy and loosen up a bit. She's been starving herself for a week and has finally blessed us with her presence." Theodore said, pointing his fork at Draco, and then Hermione, only making Malfoy's scowl deepen.

  
"More like a bloody curse in my opinion." He muttered, only to have a carrot thrown at his fork Theodore's fork.

  
"Oi Mate! She's one of us now, don't be a wanker." Theodore said, grinning wildly at everyone else, who had paused to see how the short tempered Draco Malfoy would react.

  
"Fuck off Nott, she'll never be one of us. I wished she'd disposed of herself - that would've been a blessing." Malfoy hissed, before storming out of the dining room.

There was a moment of silence, before everyone resumed conversation.

  
"Sorry about him, he's a bit on edge recently." A softer, more gently voice rang out to Hermione. As she turned around, she realised it had come from the younger Greengrass sister, Astoria.

  
"Aren't we all." Blaise breathed out, before returning to his food, leaving Hermione to give the girl a small smile, before she turned back to her plate. She knew if she ate anything else, it would surely end up on the bathroom floor in an hour, so she just sat there, waiting until she could leave, with the words Draco had said still ringing in her head.

'I wished she'd disposed of herself - that would've been a blessing.'

She wished she'd disposed of herself too, it would've been a blessing more for her than for Draco Malfoy.


	4. Demons and Death Eaters

The next morning, she had woken up in fresh sheets. The house elves had been allowed to clean away the weeks linen, and left everything feeling clean for her. It frustrated her more than she wanted to admit. Everything that reminded her of the battle had been scrubbed away. From her skin, clothes and even her room. But the memories weren’t leaving any time soon, and a part of her was grateful. She couldn’t get the image of Ron being struck out of her mind, but it reminded her of what happened, so she was somewhat grateful for her near perfect memory.

  
“I was just about to summon a house elf.” A voice rang from behind her, and Hermione turned around from her vanity to face Narcissa Malfoy.

”I’m sorry Mrs Malfoy, please excuse my recent state.” She said, giving the woman a weak smile.

”Don’t apologise Hermione.” Narcissa assured the girl, before turning to leave, and then pausing.

”The Dark Lord requires you company this evening.” 

She knew it was coming. Hermione just didn’t want to think about it. She had to face him. The man who butchered her family and friends, without a second thought. The idea of bowing down and pretending to be one of his servants made her want to be physically sick. But Hermione gathered herself, finished getting ready, and made her way downstairs.   
  


“Nice dress Granger.” A voice said behind her as she made her way down the staircase. Hermione spun around to see Pansy Parkinson weakly smiling, her normally sleek black bob pulled back into a bun, and dark circles around her eyes. It seemed everyone was wearing dark circles nowadays.

”Thank you Pansy.” Hermione said, and waited for the girl to catch up with her on the staircase so they could walk together.

“Your hair...looks nice.” Pansy said, forcing a smile on her face. Hermione knew she was trying to be nice. It wasn’t going to be easy for Pansy to go from bullying the girl in front of her to being her friend. But they needed friends during dark times like this, because they both needed allies.   
  


“Hermione. You can call me Hermione. We’re friends now, and thank you, my hair has probably got seven charms right now - all courtesy of Mrs Malfoy of course.” She said, and Pansy immediately slumped back, as if the stress and tension left her body as soon as Hermione said they were friends. She couldn’t tell how much stress Pansy had gone through after knowing that ‘Potter’s Mudblood’ was one of the Dark Lord’s most important figures in the war, and that’s she’d been bullying her for years, but she knew it definitely hadn’t calmer for relaxed the Slytherin girl.

”Don’t mind Draco, he’s so messed up at the moment. He’ll come around, it’s just going to take time.” Pansy said as the pair approached the dining room.

”Everybody deals with things differently. I just wished he wasn’t such a dick to me all the time.” Hermione muttered, and Pansy snorted with laughter.

The pair opened the doors, and found that only Blaise, Astoria and Theodore were sat at the table.

”No Daphne?” Pansy said, quirking on eyebrow up, but stopped when she saw Astoria’s tear stained face and that Theodore was hugging the girl.

”Daph...Daphne...Oh God....” Astoria began, before bursting into tears once more, and Theo pulling her closely.

  
Hermione turned to face Blaise, who wore an uncommon grim look on his face. “What happened?” She whispered as she at next to the boy.   
  


“Daph was trying to...leave.” Blaise began, and winced at the final word.

”Why?”

”No one knows, but she’s gone...dead. The Dark Lord himself finished the girl off after Lestrange had enough of her. They did it all in front of Tori and her dad.” Blaise said, and Hermione saw he’d shuddered at the final revelation.

”What is happening Zabini?” Hermione pressed, and Blaise turned to look at her.

”He’s making sure none of us run. He wants loyalty. And...and killing Daph ensured Tori and her dad’s full loyalty. They’re both petrified now.” He said, and they both glanced at Astoria, who was currently being hugged by both Theodore and Pansy.

”Does Draco know?” Hermione said softly, and Blaise looked at her with surprise.

”Why are you asking about Draco? I thought you hated the ferret.” He said, and Hermione smirked.

”He would not like the sound of you calling him a ferret, he’d go crazy at the fact you’re picking up my lovely nicknames. And just because he’s a prick doesn’t mean he deserves to suffer more.” Hermione explained, before grabbing a slice of toast.

The breakfast was probably the most peaceful moment Hermione had experienced in around a year. Despite the horrible circumstances, everybody was either silent or trying to be somewhat cheerful, they were trying to pretend that what was happening outside the dining room didn’t exist.

”Did you hear they’re going to send us back to Hogwarts?” Astoria croaked, and Hermione couldn’t hide her shock.

”What?” She blurted out, and everybody faced her.

”It’s the safest place to be at the moment Granger.” Blaise pointed out, but that just made Hermione give out a cold and empty laugh. 

“Safe? Nowhere is safe anymore, even with our positions within the Dark Lord’s circle. We are either in danger, or we are the danger. Either way, safety is most definitely not going to be there.” Hermione said, and took a deep breath, avoiding all the stares from the others at the table, and walked out of the dining room. As she left, she could hear Theodore.

”That girl has a way with words, and if she isn’t careful, the Dark Lord is going to use it.”


End file.
